I’ve always found it frustrating when I’m on a flight and have to deal with those uncomfortable airline earbuds or carry an extra set of wired headphones just for the plane. That is, until I stumbled upon Twelve South AirFly Pro (make sure to check my review out). It basically allows you to watch the in-flight entertainment system using your Bluetooth headphones or earbuds. It’s an amazing, little device.
And that’s why I was excited to learn about the upcoming Twelve South AirFly Pro 2, which looks to be a significant improvement over its predecessor in addressing these common travel audio problems.
The AirFly Pro 2 continues the tradition of being the straightforward solution for connecting your wireless headphones to wired audio sources. However, this new iteration brings some thoughtful design improvements that frequent travellers will appreciate. The addition of dedicated pairing buttons and physical volume controls stands out as a practical enhancement that addresses user feedback from previous models.
What I appreciate about the new AirFly Pro 2 is how it focuses on practical improvements rather than unnecessary features. The physical controls make adjusting volume much more intuitive, especially when you’re in the confined space of an aircraft seat. This might seem like a small detail, but anyone who’s fumbled with touch controls or phone volume settings mid-flight will understand the value.
The device maintains its compact form factor while offering an impressive 25+ hour battery life, rechargeable via USB-C. This duration easily covers even the longest international flights, with plenty of power to spare for your return journey.
While in-flight entertainment is the primary use case, Twelve South has wisely positioned the AirFly Pro 2 as a versatile connectivity solution. I can see this being particularly useful for breathing new life into older audio equipment without Bluetooth capabilities.
The AirFly Pro 2 offers two operational modes:
- In transmitter mode, it connects to wired audio outputs (like those on planes, gym equipment, or older stereos) and sends that audio wirelessly to your Bluetooth headphones.
- In receiver mode, it can stream audio from your phone to a car’s AUX port or a traditional stereo system, effectively adding Bluetooth capabilities to non-wireless audio systems.
Sure, this idea is not new and I’ve reviewed something similar many years ago. But to be able to incorporate these into the original AirFly Pro is a big bonus.
One feature that particularly stands out is the ability to connect two sets of wireless headphones simultaneously. This essentially creates a wireless headphone splitter, perfect for couples or friends wanting to share the same audio experience. Whether you’re watching an in-flight movie together or sharing music from a single device, this functionality eliminates the need for awkward headphone splitters or passing earbuds back and forth.
The good news is that AirFly Pro 2 works with virtually any Bluetooth headphones on the market. If your headphones can connect to your phone via Bluetooth, they’ll work with this device – including popular brands like Sony, Bose, and Beats. So devices like my Bose QC45 and Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 should work flawlessly.
Twelve South will be releasing the AirFly Pro 2 in late May 2025, though Australian pricing hasn’t been confirmed yet. The product will come with a USB-C charging cable, travel bag, and comprehensive documentation, all backed by a one-year limited warranty.
